Historically, viewers flipped through a cycle of channels to discover what broadcast content was available. Modern digital multimedia content delivery includes metadata to describe each item of available content, such as a title and short description. Users (e.g., potential viewers) generally navigate a text grid or series of menus that might include show art to discover or navigate available content. Typically, users review detailed items of show art that represents the genre or story line associated with the item of content. Content providers such as movie producers or television show creators compete for viewer's interest during the content selection stage using show art to communicate the subject matter of the content and persuade the viewer to select the content.
Conventionally, administrators or producers spend countless hours editing and constricting a piece of show art to capture potential viewer's attention. For example, a movie producer may develop a small library of different pieces of show art to market the content and persuade viewers to watch their movie. Related art systems use creative designs and focus groups to create show art images that communicate multiple aspects regarding the subject matter of content in order to attract the attention of a broad group of potential viewers. For example, a movie may have multiple different posters produced in order to attract large segments of a target audience. For example, one piece of show art may be designed to communicate the genre of the digital content, another piece of show art be designed to communicate the cast or lead actor featured in the digital content, and another piece of show art is designed to communicate schedule information (e.g., date and time of viewing or the sports teams being featured).
Related art studies have shown that reading text about digital content is ineffective in eliciting a decision from potential viewers. Related research shows that images overwhelmingly influence a viewer's choice in selecting digital content. For example, the related research indicates that viewers typically spend one to two seconds considering each title when navigating a library of streaming media, with the majority of time spent accessing the show art. Further, research has shown that people are able to recognize images of faces substantially faster than objects.
Related art content navigation systems may directly provide the show art provided by the content provider. In related art systems, data scientists analyze user statistics to track reactions to images and creative teams modify the colors, images and words that are used as show art. Additionally displays of images with text improve viewer's decision making processes. However, the images (e.g., show art) have become more complex in order to appeal to more segments of a potential viewer. Since images are more complex, viewers require additional time to analyze the image to locate objects that are of interest that aid in making a determination on whether or not to view the item the content.
In the related art, focal point detection is used in cameras for adjusting image capture setting. In other related art, facial recognition systems are cable of identifying or verifying a person's identity from a digital image or a video frame from a video source.
With the explosive growth of on-line digital libraries and streaming digital media delivery services, viewers have access to an overwhelming amount of digital content to navigate. Accordingly, tools are needed to improve user navigation and interaction with image-based navigation of digital content.